Blotter holder



Dec. 15, 1964 Filed April 23. 1962 ftarwew United States Patent O 3,161,177 BiJG'iER HGLDER Peter l. Garth, Evansville, Ind., assigner to U. @einen Company, a corporation Delaware Filed Apr. Z3, 1%2, Ser. No. 189,363 4 Claims. (Cl. 12d- 24) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a desk accessory and more particularly to a hollow plastic device which may take the form of a rocker type blotter holder which is molded in a single piece.

It is lthe general object of the invention to provide a new and improved device of this character.

Another object is to provide such a hollow plastic device having portions molded in extended positions to facilitate withdrawal from the mold and having hinge sections permitting said portions to be moved to closed positions for supporting a blotter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a plastic desk accessory which will serve in the combined function of a blotter holder, calendar holder, pencil holder and bank, and includes an area for advertising display.

Other objects will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view along line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a section along line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plas-tic molded part with two bottom portions extended to the positions they have when the part is molded; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial section along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is in the form of a rocker type blotter holder initially molded with relatively thin walls, as illustrated best in FIG. 4. It comprises generally a pair of parallel, spaced apart ends and 11 shaped somewhat like segments of a circle, an integral top cover portion forming two divergent, radially extending side panels 12 and 13 and an intermediate channel 14, and a pair of curved bottom portions 1S and 16.

The top, end and bottom portions are generally of somewhat uniform thickness and form a hollow holder which may be used as a bank by providing a coin slot 17 in the top channel 14. This top vchannel 14 will also serve as a pencil holder when a pencil is placed longitudinally thereon.

To form a blotter holder which has no seams or glue lines on the exposed surfaces of the device, the holder 1s preferably molded in the form shown in FIG. 4, and narrow strips at 18 and 19 are molded thinner than the balance of the bottom portions and 16 so that the bottom portions may be bent from the positions shown in FIG. 4 to the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2 the bottom portions are above the adjacent lower edge of the end lll so as not to be visible in FIG. 2 or from the other end of the holder. As shown in FIG. 3, pins 2@ (preferably live) are formed integrally with and spaced uniformly along the upper side of bottom portions 15 along its free edge. These are arranged to interengage wi-th holes 21 formed in an offset strip 22 along the vfree edge of bottom portion 16 to form a self-locking joint between the bottom portions, thus avoiding use of an adhesive or other binder along the overlapping edges.

A further means of retaining the bottom portions 15 and 16 in place is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Tabs 4t) are altrui Patented Dec. 15, 1964 formed on the bottom edges at the corners of portions 15 and 16 as shown in FIG. 4. These tabs 40 t into grooves 41 formed into the central edge section of ends 10 and 11 from about A to B as illustrated in FIG. 2, and in section in FIG. 5, In this manner, ends 1l) and 11 are prevented from pulling away from portions 15 and 16, and a smooth, glue-free joint is formed.

The bottom portions are also formed with blotter retainers 23 which, as shown best in FIG. 3, are molded integrally with the bottom portions and provide slots 24 into which the opposite ends of a blotter 25 are inserted to hold the blotter in place on the curved bottom of the holder.

rithe invention also contemplates the provision of a calendar pad on one of the side panels and a detachable panel insert on the other. For this purpose the panel 12 is provided with corner retainers 26 and 27 for a calendar pad 28, the retainers being molded integrally with the panel 12 and pressed upwardly in the molding operation to `form slots for receiving the lower corners of the calendar pad. Panel 13 is formed with a rectangular opening 29 having depressed lugs 30 along one or more of its edges. A panel insert 31 for attachment in the opening 29v has an edge portion 32 overlapping the adjacent portion of panel 13 and a plurality of depressed lugs 33 on each end adapted to interengage with the edge of the panel at the ends of the opening to lock Ithe panel insert in place. As shown, the ed-ge of the insert has a portion $4 fitting snugly into the opening. The insert, if desired, can carry a display or a display insert 35 (FIG. l) which may be held in place by retainer lugs 36.

I claim:

1. A. blotter holder comprising, a one-piece molded hollow plastic member of `substantially uniform thickness having a pair of ends shaped substantially like segments of a circle, an integral top cover portion forming two divergent, radially extending side panels and a shallow recess therebetween, a pair of curved portions forming the bottom of the device formed integrally with the outer edges of the top portion side panels by strips of material of reduced thickness to form a bendable joint, the adjacent edges of said curved portions overlapping and one having a plurality of apertures and the other a plurality of locking pins fitting in said apertures, means on the curved portions to receive and hold a blotter, and means on one of said top panels for holding `a calendar or the like, the other top panel having an opening for receiving a display member.

2. A blotter holder comprising, a pair of ends shaped substantially like segments of a circle, an integral top cover portion forming two divergent, radially extending side panels, and a pair of curved portions forming the bottom of the `device formed integrally with the outer edges of the top portion side panels by strips of material of reduced thickness to form a bendable joint, said curved portions having adjacent edges overlapping and means thereon interlitting with portions of said ends to lock the curved portions in place.

3. A blotter holder comprising, a pair of ends shaped substantially like segments of a circle, an integral top cover portion forming two divergent, radially extending side panels having a shallow recess therebetween, a longitudinal opening in said recess to permit coins to be passed therethrough, and a pair of curved portions forming the bottom of the device formed integrally with the outer edges of the top portion side panels by strips of material of reduced thickness to form a bendable joint, said bottom portions having adjacent edges overlapping, one edge having a plurality of apertures and the other edge a plurality of locking pins fitting in said apertures.

4. A blotter holder comprising, a pair of ends shaped substantially like segments of a circle, each end having a f Y* 3,161,177kr groove in its bottom arcuate edge, an integral top cover l References Cited in the file of this patent portion forming two divergent, radially extending side UNITEDSTATES PATENTS panels and a shallow recess Ytherebetween, and a pair of Y l Y groovesy 68,841 switzerland Y May 18, 19174 

2. A BLOTTER HOLDER COMPRISING, A PAIR OF ENDS SHAPED SUBSTANTIALLY LIKE SEGMENTS OF A CIRCLE, AN INTEGRAL TOP COVER PORTION FORMING TWO DIVERGENT, RADIALLY EXTENDING SIDE PANELS, AND A PAIR OF CURVED PORTIONS FORMING THE BOTTOM OF THE DEVICE FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH THE OUTER EDGES OF THE TOP PORTION SIDE PANELS BY STRIPS OF MATERIAL OF REDUCED THICKNESS TO FORM A BENDABLE JOINT, SAID CURVE PORTIONS HAVING ADJACENT EDGES OVERLAPPING AND MEANS THEREON INTERFITTING WITH PORTIONS OF SAID ENDS TO LOCK THE CURVED PORTIONS IN PLACE. 